Advice/feedback needed on a dental specialist based in Cork

filmifan

Hi - I realise, understand and completely respect that it's not allowed to ask about or name a specific doctor, dentist, clinic, surgeon, etc., but I'm hoping that it is okay and 'legal' to ask - in a roundabout sort of way - if anyone has had dental work (implants/bridges/periodontal work) done in a specialist dental practice in Cork?

The back story: I've just been to my local dentist here in the west of Ireland, and have been told that although the work I had originally done (bridgework/implants on three teeth) over 20 years ago was very good work, over time, my gums have receded and that bridge/those teeth are now very, very loose, and are falling away from my gum.

My dentist has told me that I will need to be looked at by two specialists (periodontists) and possibly a bone graft/augmentation before any implants or bridge work can be done.

I've read all the many threads on boards.ie in the past few days and nights regarding dental tourism (which I have decided against doing, for all the reasons the dentists/oral surgeons have pointed out that make complete sense to me), threads on prices, on tax breaks/PRSI refunds, threads about implants, bridge work, bone augmentation/grafts, etc.

What I'm looking for is what every patient in Ireland who needs dental care - minor or major - is looking for: excellent and competent dental work done by highly skilled professionals who have the patients' health as their priority, as well as the best value for the patients' hard-earned money.

I get all this, and respect and appreciate and understand all of this.

My question, though, is about a specialist dental clinic's website I found while Googling and searching on-line for information about all of this. This clinic is based in Cork. What made me take special notice of this clinic is that the website claims that there is no need to travel abroad for major dental work, as this clinic/surgery can offer comparative low prices (and excellent dental health care/treatment) to the ones in Eastern Europe.

Has anyone - either living in Cork or needing to travel there from elsewhere in the country - had major work done in any specialist dental clinics in Cork? If so, what've your experiences been? And can it be true that there is actually a dental clinic/surgery in Ireland that actually does have lower prices for good dental health care?

I know it's not fair or ethical, or 'legal' to give out the name of this one specific clinic/surgery/practice, so of course, I will respect that and not do that (or can I ask that via PM, maybe?).

I hope I'm not breaking any rules or regulations by asking this, as it's a general question and not wholly specific. I can assure you that, while I'm not on boards all that often, I'm not a dentist or a shill for any dental practice (I've read that whole thread) and have no vested interest whatsoever. I'm a patient who is need of dental work done (quite likely major dental work), who wants and needs good and professional and high-quality dental work done, who does NOT want to travel abroad (for all the sound reasons given in other threads) but who also, unfortunately, has a limited budget.

Thanks for reading through all this.

ballsymchugh

hiya,
can you pm me a link to the site and i'll have a gander

filmifan

Hi there ballysmchugh - Thanks for replying so quickly. I just sent you a PM. Did you receive it?

ballsymchugh

there are 2 specialists there, one oral surgeon and one orthodontist on the irish specialist register.
the prices are slightly cheaper for the expensive stuff, and slightly more expensive for the cheap stuff.

if you want to travel from the west all the way to cork for regular treatment, then fire ahead. i've no personal knowledge of the place, or any of the people who work there.
can't give you any more help than that really.

filmifan

Thanks for checking out the website, ballsymchugh.

I agree that it would be quite a trek from the northwest of the country all the way down to Cork, and I definitely do need to keep that in mind, regarding overall expenditure...especially if you feel that it's only slightly cheaper, but not significantly cheaper (though, unless I've misunderstood or mis-read or didn't read all the small print, they've claimed - percentages-wise, I mean - that their fees (for the same procedures/treatments) 20% lower than fees in Eastern Europe, and over 60% cheaper than Irish fees).

Once I have had my initial consultation with the specialists that my local dentist has referred me to, and I know exactly what procedures, what treatments and what the overall cost will be, I realise I'll be in a much better position to research/compare and finally decide where best to get my treatment(s) done would be.

If it's a case of only saving a minimal amount of money, then yeah, I'd have to ask myself if it'd really be worth all the time (a lot of time, if it's Cork) and travelling expenses (either by bus/train or driving there/petrol costs) or to just stay relatively closer to home (the specialists I've been referred to by my dentist here are in Galway, so that's still a good couple of hours away, but not nearly as far as Cork would be). But if it's a significant savings, then I think it'd be well worth looking into further.

If I may ask you, though, from looking at their website, did it 'feel' legit/reputable to you - first impressions-wise, I mean? Or did it feel/seem/sound too good to be true? Just wondering....

So....is there anyone here on boards - dentists/oral surgeons included - who might be able to shed some light on this? You can PM me if you'd like to know the specific clinic/surgery I'm asking about.

Thanks again for replying, and for your thoughts on the subject. and thanks in advance to anyone else out there who is considering having major dental work done in Cork.

Big_G

If I think you're talking about the same place, I know that it would not be profitable for the clinic I work in to do an implant (with a crown on it) for the price that they quote. I'll just leave that out there...

Also, to quote a famous instuctor of mine in dental school: 'There's no such thing as a guarantee in dentistry" - just be sure that the guarantee/warranty isn't prohibitive to access and has a meaningful value. The one's I've read in the past are along the lines of "you must have a check every 6 months, you must not use the implant/crown/bridge/filling for anything other than it's intended purpose, you must maintain excellent oral hygiene" etc etc. Meaningless for most people.

filmifan

Thanks, Big G, for replying. Much appreciated.

I get that, as much in life, there's no lifetime guarantee. Or, if there is, there are conditions and provisos that go hand in hand with that guarantee. I'm still at the initial researching stage, because I've yet to meet with the specialists in Galway that my own local dentist has suggested I go to and will be referring me to (hopefully, that will be in the next day or two, as I want to get started with the treatment as soon as I can) who'll be there to give me all the details and information, answer all my questions (that I'll have at the ready - including the conditions/provisos after the treatment) and hopefully - I'm really hoping this will be the case - that whatever price they tell me it will be, that it will be affordable.

I don't know if you and I are referring to the same specialist dental clinic in Cork, but most likely, we are. If you've been to that website (you can PM me if you want to know the one I'm talking about specifically), and have seen their fees, do you feel that they seem too good to be true, and (literally) unbelievably affordable, compared to most, if not all of the specialist dental clinics in Ireland? I know that you've just replied saying that at the clinic you work in, these fees would be not profitable for the clinic...but do you think that it's possible that there is a clinic that actually does do quality dental work and does have lower (than is usual in Ireland) fees for that work/treatments?

I get that it will, most likely, be expensive - if it's major work (which it is) and it involves periodontal work (which it will) - I realise and appreciate that it will be on the expensive side.

I'm not looking for poor-quality/quick-fix treatments that will be super-cheap (at the outset, only to cost more in the long run due to that poor workmanship). I'm looking for good quality dental treatment done by skilled health care professionals that I can afford to have treatment done by. I'm not looking for the easy way out, costs-wise. But I am searching for dental care that I can afford - even if it means taking out a small loan from the credit union, but preferably, paying via monthly installments/payment plan.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

PM sent

filmifan

Thanks, Fitzgeme. PM received and replied to just now.